Is Home-Made Healthier? "Cooking For Your Pet"
By Kathryn Gaster Allen

Nearly everyone enjoys a home-cooked meal – is your dog or cat any different? Often veterinarians and pet-food manufacturers warn us to not feed table scraps or home-made diets to pets. They contend that feeding a pet table scraps may ruin its health. Just as junk food has unhealthy effects on humans, junk-food leftovers are equally unhealthy for your pet. Even if you eat healthfully, a food balance that is ideal for humans is not necessarily suitable for a pet. However, preparing food your dog or cat is different because it is specifically balanced to meet your pet's needs.

Most commercial pet foods contain way too much fat and not enough fiber. Commercial pet foods also are highly flavored, so dogs and cats tend to eat more than they really need, and the artificial dyes and flavorings contained in many commercial pet foods often also cause itchy skin. An all-natural pet food that more closely duplicates nature's balance of nutrients will help make your pet healthier.

But, a home-made diet may be even better for your pet, say holistic vets. In his book, Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, Richard H. Pitcairn, D.V.M., Ph.D. maintains that a home-made diet for your pet is far superior to a commercial one, even if it does not meet the government “standards” of nutrition. He states that, “…we need not worry about providing a 'perfect' balance of nutrients with every meal we feed our pets.” If you decide to feed your dog or cat a home-made diet, however, there are some nutritional guidelines to follow. This is especially true if you have both cats and dogs – the same diet will not work for both species.

In another book, The Country Vet's Home Remedies for Dogs, author William D. Fortney, D.V.M. explains the substantial difference in the nutritional needs of cats as compared to dogs. “While cats need nutrients found only in meat-based diets, a dog's digestive system can pull the nutrients out of just about anything that's edible. That's why dogs don't need as much protein in their diets as cats do.”

So, does this mean that your dog will thrive on a vegetarian diet? Don Hamilton, D.V.M., a longtime vegetarian himself says that, “Carnivores derive their primary nutrition (in cats their entire nutrition) from the consumption of other animals. This is critical for health, and attempts to feed vegetarian diets to carnivores ultimately lead to malnutrition…while dogs may tolerate a large quantity of non-meat items in their diet, inadequate quantities of meat will not sustain them. Cats are obligate carnivores, that is, they must consume an almost all-animal diet to maintain health…I believe feeding carnivores a vegetarian diet is tantamount to abuse.”

A dog's diet should be 35 percent meat protein, 30 percent grains and 35 percent raw or cooked vegetables. Cats should eat 50- 60 percent raw meat, 20-30 percent grains, such as rice or millet, with the remainder coming from cooked vegetables. If you find the words “raw meat” disturbing, you are not alone. The issue of raw meat versus cooked meat is the subject of an ongoing debate, with veterinarians coming down on both sides of the fight. Dr. Pitcairn, a proponent of the raw-meat movement, says that most veterinarians oppose feeding pets raw meat because of concerns about diseases such as salmonella or Escherichia coli, but he claims that he has encountered no problems with these diseases. And he says that although raw meat can make animals sick, they certainly seem to be less susceptible to the hazards of eating undercooked meat than are people. On the other hand, Dr. Fortney is not a proponent of raw-meat diets for dogs and cats. As an example to support this position, he points out that domestication has made dogs' digestive systems a little more sensitive. He suggests that it is best to always serve meat and eggs cooked.

To err on the side of caution, it is advisable to lightly steam any meat products you feed your pet. Either way, be sure to buy high-quality organic or free-range meats because they are less likely to contain dangerous organisms. Dr. Pitcairn also points out that turkeys, ducks and sheep have lower cancer rates than chickens, cattle and hogs. He asserts that this difference is attributable to the amount of meat fed each species. Therefore, you probably would do well to emphasize turkey and lamb in your pet's diet unless you can obtain quality-raised chicken or beef.

And remember, any change to your pet's diet should be made gradually over a few weeks by mixing the old and new food together as you increase the amount of the new food. Dogs adjust fairly quickly but cats may take as long as a month to convert completely. There are several cautions when it comes to adding extras to your pet's meals – do not use onions and, do not overuse garlic, as it can cause a type of feline anemia.

If feeding your dog or cat a homemade diet seems to be just too time-consuming, or if you doubt how well the change will be received by your pet, try adding some fresh vegetables and meat to the dinner occasionally. Any high quality natural food will provide your pet with a higher level of nutrition than any commercial pet food will.
The following recipes are examples of simple meals you can make at home for your pet.

Basic Dog Meal
Serving yield will vary depending on the size of dog.

1.5 lb ground meat, lightly steamed
1 medium potato, cooked and mashed
2 C cooked whole-grain brown rice
½ C cooked oatmeal
½ C cooked barley, mashed
½ C raw carrots, grated
½ C raw green veggies (broccoli, spinach, green beans), finely chopped
2 T olive oil
2 T minced garlic

Basic Cat Meal
(Recommended by the Animal Protection Institute)
Yields approximately 3 servings.

½ lb boneless chicken breast or thigh, minced
or 6 oz. ground turkey or minced turkey (dark meat)
or ½ lb beef heart, chicken heart or turkey heart, ground or minced
1 t olive oil
1 t flaxseed oil
300 mg calcium (carbonate or citrate)
or 1 rounded t human-grade bonemeal
1 to 2 T lightly cooked, pureed veggies (no onions)
1 probiotic/digestive enzyme supplement
80 mg taurine

About three times a week, include one chopped hard-boiled or scrambled egg and ¼ t potassium chloride (salt substitute).

Combine all the ingredients. Will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator.

Kathryn “Kat” Gaster Allen is the owner of Gasterville Natural, a Cleveland-based pet care and consulting business. She also publishes a monthly e-newsletter “The Hound's Herald.” Kat is pursing her veterinary technology degree as well as her canine massage therapy certification. She may be reached via www.gasterville.com or at (216) 276-2229.